Also, roughly 90% is imported into the United States, further increasing its carbon footprint. Peat moss is quite acidic with a pH level ranging from 3.3 to 4. Kindly advise if what I am doing is correct. Pros. Golden Seed, best moisture for the growing environment. Mixing it with garden soil makes for a completely different proposition. Peat Moss is a material harvested from peat bogs far far away. Also known as Sphagnum, peat moss is a genus of around 380 separate species of mosses. Peat moss is harvested from bogs that have taken hundreds, if not thousands of years to form as dead plant material piled on dead plant material. Coir: is made from the pith element of the coconut husk (shell) First coco peat lasts much longer than plain peat plus it is disease resistant and holds moisture well. Of course, sphagnum makes only part of a complete soil mix, — rarely as much as a third as recommended in Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening soil formula — making small increment pH adjustments not so difficult. Because most plants cannot live in such extremely acidic conditions. Hydroponics is one thing. Peat moss affects climate change and resources the most. Coir affects human health and ecosystem quality more than peat. The quality of and amount of contamination in peat varies from one manufacturer and batch to another. It’s renewable. Sphagnum peat moss is found in better brands of potting soil. This is repeated over and over, and after hundreds or even thousands of years these many layers of dead sphagnum moss form a bog. I use fabric pots (plastic pots require more perlite) in a flood/drain table, cycled 3-4 times per day depending on temp/humidity and plant size. And that’s where the discussion comes in, on both the small drawbacks that can be compensated and the larger ones that can’t. Peat moss, often labeled "Sphagnum Peat Moss," is quite different, though. If coco peat is fast absorbing, peat moss will retain moisture longer. For one thing, unlike peat moss, coconut coir is a renewable resource. Sustainability is part of the discussion. Indoor coir growers have long recycled their much-used hydroponic coir into their outdoor vegetable gardens and compost piles. They found that coir performed on par with peat. After a few uses I send the coco/peat mix to the compost pile and in a year or two (I have a couple large compost piles) it gets redistributed to my soil gardens as top dressing. While coco coir generally retains more water, peat moss releases that moisture more slowly. Not everyone considers peat unsustainable. Sphagnum tends to be acidic and is frequently used in potting of acid-loving ornamentals. Long popular with hydroponic growers for its water retention, its deterrence of fungus gnats and certain diseases, and its root-supporting structure, it carries these positives into the garden where it functions much like sphagnum moss. Needing less time to become saturated, coir also needs less water. Coir, in its various forms, is the relative newcomer to the garden. Excellent habitat for microorganisms. Peat moss can be used in the same manner as peat and works as a dry storage medium for bulbs. Perfect for acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, roses and conifers. However, despite reports that coir has a greater water holding capacity, sphagnum peat moss holds 10 to 20 times its weight in water, while coir only holds an average of 8 to 9 times its weight. I’m not set up to do hydroponics. Coco Peat Farming Advantages: Coco Peat is now in urban demand. Coconut Coir vs Peat Moss. Coco Peat is a sustainable, renewable resource that is revolutionizing agriculture around the globe. Greener, organic and renewable, coco peat is being … Absorbs water up to 10 times its dry weight, excellent wetting and re-wetting. Adding coir will pretty much keep the pH of the soil you’re adding it to the same. Peat moss holds 10 to 20 times its dry weight in water, while Coir holds 8 to 9 times its dry weight in water. The impacts by peat include transportation, land use change, CO2 production, and aquatic eutrophication (loss of bogs). Peat bogs are living entities. A natural, organic soil conditioner! Both help break up heavy, clay soils and improve water retention in sandy soils. Do you guys know how much water it takes to remove salt from the coconut coir (2 or 3 wash I was told)? Coir does saturate faster than peat moss, thereby using less water to “activate”. More aeration and … Peat falls in the 100-200 meq/100g. A study (link no longer active) from Utah State University found that in straight hydroponic growing situations (soilless, just peat or coir, both combined with perlite for drainage, and nutrient solution) found “poor plant growth in coir,” a result that’s contradicted by the success of all sorts of indoor growers using coir. If so. Coco Coir is a 100% natural by-product of coconut harvest. Breaks down slower than peat due to high lignin content. IMHO, both products are sustainable. Available in compressed 5kg blocks — makes around 2 cubic feet or 16 gallons (65-70 liters) of expanded media. One 5-kilo bale makes up to 16 gallons. Coir has superior water holding capacity allowing for excellent air space and drainage. Good humus can be as high as 300 meq/100g. Peat moss is mined from peat bogs, which trap 30% of our planets CO2. It holds more water than peat moss, but doesn't hold it as long. Soak compressed bale in water to expand. Effectiveness is another. Shop our large selection of hydroponic mixes and choose what’s best for your needs. So its possible to even up the sawdust amount and leave out Peat moss completely, in the ponies and small containers. It is very decomposed organic matter that has collected in ecological and geological deposits over many earth ages. The peat industry has looked at combining sphagnum with other products in ways that maintain its effectiveness in smaller amounts. Sphagnum moss and sphagnum peat moss, however, are two distinctly different materials. Available in liquid and powder forms, mycorrhizae inoculants are effective and easy to use. Both the Sphagnum Peat Moss and the Coco Coir come dehydrated and have to be rehydrated before you can put it into your toilet. Peat moss also makes a useful soil amendment. Both are excellent in trapping air in the soil, air that will benefit plant roots. Rick. Most peat moss in the U.S. comes from Canada. Peat Moss doesn't retain water naturally. Coir can be high in salts. Again, addition of calcium amendments can take care of this problem in garden soils. I used Coir alone 15 years ago when I first started out, with 90% WOW I LIKE IT. with very few draw backs. This is mainly due to the benefits in the Kitchen Gardens and Terrace Gardens for Soil Less Farming. Can you use coconut coir with peat moss, perlite, or topsoil in a bag. Peat moss tends to shed water when first wetted, and coconut coir adjusts to water more easily than peat moss. In addition, coco peat is not spoiled after use – it’s possible to wash and reuse coco peat once a gardening project has come to an end and the soil is no longer needed. I forgot to add that there are other differences in peat vs. coco besides calcium, PH and salinity. Coco Loco also doesn't compact to the point where roots have a hard time anchoring in the soil substrate. What’s been your growing experience with coir? Peat moss tends to have a PH of 4 or 5, making it acidic. I recently bought 20 yards of a decent “Garden Mix” (Southern Nurseries ‘Holy Cow’) and they say it has a CEC of 25ish. Easier to rewet than peat moss, is not hydrophobic. True mixing peat with clay soil and any organic manure/compost loosens up soil. I have my farm in Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu, India. I am using fibre at the bottom of the pot for drainage, as our soil here is clay type. Truth is both are great additions to garden soil. We’d be curious to hear what you think. I experienced the same thing in flats and baskets that didn’t sell right away, and sat there, because of the increased humidity inside the greenhouse and outside. Nature’s perfect growing media! Planet Natural offers the organic amendments that your plants need to thrive. According to me coconut coir is a misnomer for coconut peat. Peat moss is said to soak up to 20 times its own weight in water, which it releases slowly. Coir retains water in the long run better than such growing mediums as perlite and rock wool, which suggests it will retain water longer in the garden as well. It’s been found that the high potassium content of coir can interfere with calcium uptake. Only deep water culture compares to this method in plant growth vigor. In a well-circulated piece (among peat lovers anyway) that used CSPMA’s figures, Jeff Ball at Garden Rant made a case that peat is renewable: Here are the simple facts: Canada has over 270 million acres of peat bogs which produce peat moss. Square-foot gardener Bartholomew states that his efficient, small space gardening methods justify the use of peat in his soil formula. For 2016 I am going to mix my Coir with Peat and Compost at a ratio of 2/3 Coir, 1/6 Peat, and 1/6 compost, or reduce Peat and Compost down to 1/12 and use a completely seasoned, dry hardwood sawdust, which is excellent as being lightweight, wet or dry, allows the roots lots of oxygen, ease of growth and spreading. With that data I consider peat definitely a renewable resource. Coir has a pH of 5.8 to 6.8 so limestone is less often required to adjust the acidity. Peat Moss vs Coco Peat: What Is The Best For Cannabis Growing. I’ve settled on a 50/50 coco/peat blend with 10% perlite and 15% vermiculite added (similar to Pro Mix). Different reports list coco as having a water capacity ranging from 8x to 30x it’s own weight. Can you use coconut coir as a soil replacement? The one drawback that’s difficult to get over is one regarding peat moss and its sustainability. A major switch from my previous grower who retired and moved to Hawaii, that used compost and perlite and a small amount of Peat. Can cost more than coir. The end product is very similar to peat moss, but each has their differences. If you do the math that comes to one of every 6,000 acres of peat moss is harvested each year. How to use and what you would use them for. The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, in it’s “Industry Social Responsibility Report” from 2014 makes an argument that peat is a resource they’re protecting. Peat moss is the only one of the four additives listed here which is not considered PH neutral. Is coconut coir good for aloe vera plants? Grown in ocean climates, it often picks up additional salts after harvest. Because to me this is a big concern as I’m just thinking about the draught condition from the latest years that we experimement through some US region. You may have some concerns about the use of coconut peat farming or coir fiber advantages. #2 pH Level Coco Peat is a sustainable, renewable resource that is revolutionizing agriculture around the globe. In contrast, peat moss has a finer and stronger texture so it holds water longer. On the same note, Peat is far easier to overwater where Coco is incredibly hard to overwater (assuming you buy a coco brand without much dust/pith and lots of larger particles/fibre) And here is the cherry on top. Switching to coco peat. Slight adjustments might be required. Coir and sphagnum peat both take up a lot of water. Pros of Coco Coir: Coir pH usually runs 6 – 6.7. I am following this process for some of my plants where there is excess clay soil. Both encourage natural beneficial microbial populations. Coir comes from the shell and fibers of coconuts. If coir is renewable, and peat is not, why not use coir, despite its minor drawbacks? Peat has the potential of absorbing excess soil moisture from clay soil which other wise would become sticky and slowly destroy the plant roots. I add around 1/3 perlite in my mix for areation. Each has its own list of beneficial nutrients it adds to the soil. PEAT. Excellent habitat for microorganisms. Feb 14, 2011 #8 Wow thanx for the reply. Coco peat is very quick to dry and cannot hold moisture for long. Mostly sourced from India and Sri Lanka, coco fibers are the husks of coconuts either decomposed or ground up. Over time the sphagnum moss dies and is over-grown by new sphagnum moss. It’s as good outside as in. [ii] Soil improvement. I’m no professional, so I will let you guys tell me what you think. Made of 100% pure compressed coconut husk fibers, Roots Organics® Coco Peat is a terrific addition to your planting mixes, possessing a near perfect natural pH level of 5.2-6.3 for ideal nutrient plant intake. There’s a lot of discussion going on over which soil conditioner is best for your garden: sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir? The peat is mixed with soil and manure from vermiculture to make a potting mixture. At the same time, we heard whispers about how peatlands were being overly harvested. Both are natural and plant based. Free of weed seeds, pests, and pathogens. The higher the number, the greater the nutrient holding capacity. “Renewable” resource – byproduct of the coconut industry. Many fertile garden soils fall in 15-40 meq range. While we suggest a little care before it’s used and certain supplementation to boost calcium levels, if necessary, we don’t think, as the study recommends, the differences it discovered between peat and coir suggest coir be used “in great caution.” Here great caution seems to mean without amendment or supplementation. [i] Often retains less water than coir which means more watering is required. Some growers recommend washing even brands that are pre-soaked to rid them of salts. Some brands are not only washed but composted, making for more balanced mineral delivery. The peat bogs grow 70% more peat moss each year than is harvested. What matters most is that we as humans moderate our consumption. Usually cheaper than peat moss. The third way here is to use less sphagnum moss if you’re using it at all. Let’s us know here, or over at our Facebook page. Once harvested, it’s not coming back anytime soon. Peat moss comes from peat bogs -- swamps or marshes filled with decomposed sphagnum moss. The one drawback that’s difficult to get over is one regarding peat moss and its sustainability. I have grown many different plants types in just about every media type available. Get your plants off to a great start and keep them healthy with our premium blends. You have to be careful about using peat moss. What to Consider When Choosing a Pump for Hydroponics System? Coir consists of the coarse fibers extracted from the husk on the outer shell of a coconut. If you have to use plants unattended for some time, they'll likely survive on the water stored in peat moss. However, coco peat is an excellent substitute for peat moss. I sell retail annuals and perennials, My grower uses pretty much just peat moss in her containers and baskets. Here we get two products; ie fibre and peat. On the other hand, coco coir is much less acidic with a pH level of 5.2 to 6.8 This makes coco coir more suitable for most kinds of plants as it is very neutral. To be fair, Coir comes in various textures and coarseness, which may increase its overall water-holding abilities, but they are not equal. Do you think peat can be wisely managed, renewable or not? Oh the sawdust can be obtained from any cabinet builders shop, usually for free. It often comes pressed into bricks, which have to be soaked to break them apart. It absorbs water well and isn't hydrophilic like peat moss and peat-based mixes. We also think the stringy composition of the mix allows better airflow to the microgreen roots. Coco is somewhere around 50-80 meq. Water retention. Coconut coir is a readily renewable, pH -neutral, non hydrophobic soil amendment that aerates, improves water retention, and is more environmentally friendly than peat moss. Coconut coir generally comes in compressed blocks or bricks. Oftentimes, peat moss is referred to as sphagnum peat moss as much of the decomposed material in a peat bog comes from sphagnum moss which commonly grows on the top of the bog. Contains a unique cell structure that helps regulate moisture and air around plant roots creating an ideal growing environment. If you are trying to build a high performance growing media or very fertile soil, then look at the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of the individual components you are considering adding. It drains well but still retains moisture for the plants. Cation Exchange Capacity of 40-60. If you think of the coconut meat as the main crop of the coconut palm, then coir is a left-over leftover. And this is where the heart of the discussions lay. Like peat moss, adding coco peat to soil also helps with aeration and water retention. The pith from which coco coir is made contains high amounts of lignin and cellulose that prevent it from decomposing and shrinking. Usually cheaper than peat moss. The main reason justifying the adoption of coco coir is to be used as an environmentally friendly replacement of peat moss. This coconut husk "dust" is marketed as coir (pronounced KOI-er). The reason many growers switch to peat moss is due to the neglect by your bigger retail stores having knowledgeable gardeners caring for and taking the time to water the plants they house, especially when some stores don’t pay for their plants until their sold (which I won’t mention any marts). Same or less than peat. Coco has a more optimal pH for plant growth 5.5-7 vs Peat's 4.5 Coco drains better and has superior air porosity when compared to Peat. In a comparison of coco peat vs. soil, the peat retains much more water and releases it slowly to plant roots. After all, peat has drawbacks — its acidity and ability to “trap” water in outdoor soils, making them mucky — as well. “No brand (of coir) performed consistently better than sphagnum peat,” it concludes. [email protected] Active Member. Thanks very much. Each year the peat moss industry harvests only 40,000 acres of peat moss mostly for horticultural use. Nobody is suggesting that peat moss is an ineffective medium to aid plant growth – it is favoured by gardeners for a reason. can you use it straight or mixed with your favorite medium? It must be processed with wetting agents. It quotes other studies that examined the effectiveness of sphagnum peat and coir: Researchers at Auburn University and University of Arkansas compared peat and coir as soil amendments for horticulture. Black Gold® Organic Peat Moss is an excellent all-purpose potting mix ingredient and soil amendment. We figured since coco pith is made from the outer husk of coconuts, something that’s otherwise just thrown away, it was the more sustainable than peat moss. Both, also, have drawbacks. Easier to rewet than peat moss, is not hydrophobic. Once harvested, it’s not coming back anytime soon. Thanks. The brands we feature are the finest available. Vermiculite 100-150 meq. Sorry I was trying to remember where I saw it, but somewhere online there is a big thread discussing coco vs peat moss and lots of good info, I suggest you gooogle coco vs peat moss and look around. You can use coir just like peat moss. As for using straight Peat Moss I don’t like it and wouldn’t recommended it in the area I live, and was born and raised. On the other side, the Oregon State University Extension Service makes a good case, based on sustainability, for using coir instead of peat. Coir pH usually runs 6 – 6.7, close to neutral. I am located in Northern Idaho, and our spring mostly starts out beautiful then turns cold and rainy for a week sometimes two which causes no drying of the plants. For more information visit the Master Gardener Diagnostic Clinic May … Coco is actually a by-product of the coconut industry, making it a renewable resource. Peat moss is harvested from bogs that have taken hundreds, if not thousands of years to form as dead plant material piled on dead plant material. The Environment. I got many complaints from customers of their baskets getting root rot over the last 3 years. It should prove out to be a great soil that is all renewable from products that are being discarded anyway. Coconut coir, like Mother Earth® Coco (which is made in RHP-certified facilities to help ensure high quality), is often used as a substitute for peat moss in hydroponics systems and container gardening, and for good reason. Zach Zezulka gose over compost base potting soil vs Peat Moss / Coco Coir. Peat moss is extracted from peat bogs that release billions of tons of greenhouse gasses per year, and take 1000’s of years to renew. Unlike peat moss, coco coir peat needs less water to achieve the same level of hydration. Types of Coco Peat for Plants. I have developed a process to get coco peat from husk. Different reports list coco as having a water capacity ranging from 8x to 30x it's own weight. It begins its life as sphagnum moss. Coir comes from the shell and fibers of coconuts. Much smaller than peat moss bales, they will expand more than you'd believe when moistened. 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